Billy Liar

Billy's home, perhaps 37 Hinchliffe Ave, Bradford.

Photo by Renzo. I see they have new windows next door.

Billy's home, perhaps 37 Hinchliffe Ave, Bradford.

Renzo provided the pic. Hinchliffe Avenue. Click Here to see Gareth Nolan's extended description, pictures and map

Leeds Town Hall, thanks to Tony Reeves, his book explains all.

Leeds Town Hall steps, right of front. This links in with archive cine 'film of filming', mentioned above. Photo by Renzo.

A prison. My money is on Wormwood Scrubs on Du Cane Road in London W12. The recognisable frontage is seen in numerous productions including ‘The Hi-Jackers’, ‘The Italian Job’, ‘Three Steps to the Gallows’, ‘Morgan, a Suitable Case for Treatment’, 'Man Accused', 'The Big Job', ‘Impact’, ‘Nothing Barred’, ‘Bullseye’, 'Fate Takes a Hand' and ‘Jungle Street’.

My money too. SJ

Yes, the Scrubs it is.

Now. Wormwood Scrubs, West London, now, pic Jake Brown, Ta muchly.

In front of Billy's home, perhaps Midland Road Bradford. See bl031. We stitched two stills together to make this panorama.

Midland Road - once again from from Gareth Nolan. Click Here to see Gareth's extended description, pictures and map.

Corner of Stott Hill and Barkerend Road, Bradford.

Now ~ Guy Hatton. The three shots (8,9,and 10) are part of a singleÿcamera pan in the movie. Barkerend Road turns into Church Bank at approximately the point where shot 8 is sited - the two form a (more or less) straight road, and the bus in the movie follows this.

Cathedral, Bradford.

Now ~ Guy Hatton. Stott Hill, the corner of which is visible in shot 8, joins Barkerend Road/Church Bank at a T-junction, and disappears from view as the camera pans towards the cathedral (shot 9 and following).

Looking down Church Bank, Bradford, towards the junction with Forster Square. The bus is an ex-London Transport AEC RT type, owned by Bradford City Transport ~ Paul Holroyd

Stott Hill, Now ~ Guy Hatton. The three now pics above were sent in by Guy Hatton.

The steps off Southgate, Bradford, off Sunbridge Road, ...............Tony Reeves

Now, Southgate Steps, Bradford. Credit to Guy Hatton who took the photo.

Looking up Southgate, towards Sundridge Road and Godwin Street, Bradford. The caf‚ is part of Sunwin House, the Co-Op Departmental Store.

Pic from Renzo, and the shop now called T J Hughes.

Whilst making the film, a picture from the book "60s British Cinema" by an unknown author, publisher or date.

Picture by Paul Holroyd, well done Paul, thanks.

Southgate, see lampost in bl012a, but gone by bl012an.

War Memorial, Victoria Square, Bradford. Tony Reeves helped a lot with Billy's locations. His book is a must for location sleuths. War memorial scene at the bottom of Little Horton Lane ~ Gareth Nolan. Perhaps Tony Reeves wisely put in a deliberate mistake in case of plagiarisation. You can't be too careful.

War memorial now.. another superb effort from Gareth Nolan. Click Here to see Gareth's extended description, pictures and map.

Looking up Bank Street, Bradford, at its junction with Broadway. The building on the immediate left of the belisha beacon is theÿpost officeÿ (NOT the same post office as in 18) ~ Paul Holroyd

The post office on the right hand side is now a Ladbrokes. The building on the left was built on the site of Bradford's Swan Arcade - see Wikipedia. John Yeadon.

Again.

Looking up Bank Street across the junction with Broadway. The building on the left is Ladbrooks and on the right the Yorkshire Building Society. John Yeadon.

Again.

Looking up Bank Street across the junction with Broadway. The building in the middle is the Yorkshire Building Society and on the right the Yorkshire bank. John Yeadon

In front of the main post office at Forster Square. The statue is of W E Forster. The building on the right is at the junction of Church Bank and Well Street. ~ Paul Holroyd

Kieran McAleer admits the angle is slightly off but it was from memory, at night and raining (and what's more, we've been waiting over 15 years for a comparison) so it will certainly do. (SJ)

Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, David Claydon

Now. Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester ~ Guy Hatton

Charles Street or Broadway, Bradford.

Boots the Chemist. The shop had entrances in Charles Street and Broadway, Bradford ~ Paul Holroyd

Bradford?

Bradford?

NO! Ewan Lewis captured this "surprise location" whilst in London for another film. St Mary Magdalene Church, Rowington Place, Paddington Green in the shadow of the new Warwick and Bridley Estate. (Does this match? SJ)

Peter Quigley explains that this is Old Trafford in Manchester, the home of Manchester United. Alan Spencer adds "I can confirm absolutely that the location is Old Trafford. I am one of the two people under the floodlight tower running towards a turnstile entrance gate. At the time we were students at UMIST in Manchester and about 50 of us were offered 30 shillings in the students union to perform as extras at Old Trafford one Wednesday afternoon. Most of our group constituted the back row of the terraces seen top right. I and my friend were designated as "late comers to the match" and had to run to the turnstiles. Whilst we were running there was a "roar from the crowd" when Tom Courtney was walking along the road behind making-believe the "roar" was from the crowd at a rally saluting him". The location can also be seen in 'Charlie Bubbles', 'Cup Fever' and 'The Lovers!'.

Old Trafford football ground has undergone many redevelopments in its 111 years and Peter Brown's view of the East Stand shows how it has been expanded out onto the concourse and is much larger than the 1960s version.

Not Bradford. Peter Brown confirms that this is Manchester, looking west on Trafford Park Road in front of the Lancashire Dynamo and Crypto works. The large black building ahead is the warehouse belonging to Hall and Pickles Ltd. which appears in 'The White Bus'. Peter Quigley advises that the road would once have led to Trafford Road Bridge in Salford, which appears in 'A Taste of Honey'.

The location as it appears now by Peter Brown who explains "The trees on the right follow the line of Trafford Park Road while the Wharfside Way dual carriageway comes in from the left and merges with the original route of the road at this point."

I'm not certain if this is Cheapside, Bradford ~ Paul Holroyd.

Bradford? No, David Rattigan tells us that this is a Shepperton Studios standing set that can be seen on the 'avengerland' Website at avengerland.theavengers.tv/studios/sheppblot.htm (RL)

London's Marylebone Station located by Tony.

From a similar viewpoint. (PW)

London's Marylebone Station, with thanks to Tony.

The best view possible today. (PW)

Midland Road, Bradford? Ken Taylor says: Penultimate scene, when Billy marches up the street, after leaving Liz, was filmed on Spennithorne Avenue, West Park, Leeds. I watched the filming.

Now with streetlight gone, but unique iron gates still there with block work brick walls, looking down Spennithorne Ave, to it's junction Spennithorne Dr, Iron gate left near us, other semi has transit minibus front garden. Renzo, Leeds. Also note the scene must have been shot from about 10' to 20' above ground. Billy is then 'edited' back (alone) to Midland Road bl031 which adjoins his road / house.

Midland Road, Bradford?

Seems reasonable and Renzo took the picture.

Cheapside .... and our thanks to Gareth Nolan for the whole thing!

The scenes on the moor above Bradford where Billy Meets Cllr Duxbury were filmed at Bolton Woods Quarry. These and the next five stills were sent in by Renzo.

And the final shot of Bolton Woods Quarry: Martin Spaull recalls quite a crowd of locals followed the filming unit here to watch.